Take the match, bring the metal medal

Jamshedpur, Jan. 31: Whatever the cricket world may believe, Indians can be tigers abroad and rabbits at home. At least when taking on Brazilians.

Hours after Ratan Tata showed nerves of steel to humble Brazil’s CSN in the shootout in London, Sao Paulo blanked Mohammedan Sporting 6-0 on the Tatas’ home turf, Jamshedpur.

Scores even? Not to the crowd that had thronged the JRD Tata Sports Complex to watch the samba sorcerers.

On this day of days the Steel City was in Champions League mode: in a tie, an away goal counted for two.

“See, Brazilians beating Indians in soccer is hardly a surprise, but an Indian company acquiring such a large steel company (the Anglo-Dutch giant Corus) is something special,” said Ram Naresh Singla.

“It’s perhaps the best gift Tata Steel has ever given to the people of Jamshedpur. We have suddenly become a force to reckon with internationally.”

After the heady victory of the morning, the afternoon Super Soccer game was more of an extended celebration than a serious contest. For once, the booming dhols and nagaras at the stadium drowned out even the dhamaka in Vadodara by the state’s cricket demigod Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

“India has posted a huge total — it seems we’ll win today,” said a fan after checking out the score on his mobile.

“Although cricket is important, how could I have missed a soccer match like this in my own city? We have seen Brazilian football on TV — this was my chance of watching it first hand.”

Horns blared and flags swayed as the 20,000 spectators cheered every Indian attempt and every Brazilian goal. A group of special children and some of their luckier peers accompanied both teams to the ground from the dressing room while the Fifa anthem played. An aeroplane kept showering flowers on the ground.

That tribute seemed to remind Basudeb Mohanty of something.

“Tata Steel has shown the way,” the football fan said. “Other Indian companies should now take inspiration from this and go global.”